New Delhi: As Indian and Chinese troops remain engaged in a tense border standoff, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday asserted that the government will not allow India's pride to be hurt under any circumstances even as he said bilateral talks were on at military and diplomatic levels to resolve the row.
Singh also said that he conveyed to US Defence Secretary Mark T Esper during a telephonic conversation on Friday that India and China have an existing mechanisms to resolve "problems" through talks at diplomatic and military levels.
In the midst of the flare-ups between Indian and Chinese armies, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he was "ready, willing and able to mediate" between the two countries. He reiterated the offer on Thursday as well.
The Ministry of External Affairs indirectly rejected the offer two days ago, but Singh became the first central minister to speak on India's position on the issue with clarity.
"I spoke to the US Defence Secretary yesterday. I told him that we have developed a mechanism already under which any problem between India and China are resolved through military and diplomatic dialogue," Singh told to a news channel.
He was replying to a question on whether India ruled out any third-party mediation in resolving the border row with China.
The defence minister said efforts are on to resolve the border row in eastern Ladakh.
"I want to assure the country that we will not allow India's pride to be hurt under any circumstances. India has been following a clear policy of maintaining good relationship with neighbouring countries and it is not a new approach; We have been following it for long. At times, situation arises with China. It has happened before," he said.
Singh noted that China has also said that it wants to resolve the border issue through diplomatic dialogue.
"It has been India's efforts to ensure that the tension does not escalate. It should be resolved through talks at military and diplomatic levels. Negotiations are ongoing between the two countries at the military and diplomatic levels," he said.
Troops of India and China were engaged in the standoff for over three weeks in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh.